Manny Maroño, Jorge Forte to be arraigned Friday

THE VICTIM'S NAME OR DETERMINED HOW THE PERSON DIED. A FORMER SOUTH FLORIDA MAYOR AND HIS LOBBYIST FRIEND ACCUSED OF ACCEPTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN KICKBACKS PLEADED NOT GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT TODAY. OUR SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER MICHAEL PUTNEY WAS RIGHT THERE. Reporter: FORMER SWEETWATER MAYOR MANNY MAROÑO THE ONE WEARING SUNGLASSES AND A PINK TIE WALKED INTO FEDERAL COURT THIS MORNING SURROUNDED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND WITHOUT SAYING A WORD. WHEN HE APPEARED BEFORE A JUDGE MINUTE LATER, HE SAID ONLY "YES" WHEN ASKED IF HE WOULD WAIVE HIS RIGHT TO A GRAND JURY INDICTMENT, AND THEN "NOTE GUILTY" TO MAKING BRIBES AND KICKBACKS. MONEY WAS CHALLENGED FRONT OF HIM AND LOBBYIST JORGE LUIS FORTE BY F.B.I. AGENTS POSING A AS FEDERAL GRANT WRITERS. MAROÑOO AND FORTE ALLEGEDLY TOOK $40,000 IN BRIBES AND KICKBACKS FROM UNDERCOVER F.B.I. AGENTS AND ANOTHER 20,000 DOLLARS TO INTRODUCE THEM TO OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS. MAROÑO WAS STOIC AND STONE FACED AS HE LEFT FEDERAL COURT. WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE COMMENTING ON THE CHARGES AT THIS TIME. CONSISTENT WITH WHAT HE SAID THROUGHOUT THE PROCEEDINGS IN THIS CASE THUS FAR, WE ONLY PLAN TO COMMENT ABOUT THE CASE IN COURT FILINGS AND WE WANT TO LET THE JUDICIAL PROCESS WORKS WAY FORWARD. Reporter: LOBBYIST JORGE LUIS FORTE IS MAROÑO'S ALLEGED PARTNER IN CRIME. HE ALSO PLEADED NOT GUILTY. TELL US WHY YOU ENTERED THE NOT GUILTY PLEA WHEN WHERE DO YOU GO BEFORE HERE IS IF. ANY DEFENDANT THAT STANDS BEFORE THE SYSTEM IS REQUIRED TO SUPERIOR A PLEA OF GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY. TODAY WE ENTERED A PLEA OF NOT GUILTY AND WE ASKED THE COURT TO HAVE STAND DISCOVERY ORDER AND ASKED THAT MATTER WILL BE SEND TO JUDGE SCHROCK JUDGE LOCK DID. Reporter: FORTE IS BELIEVED TO BE COOPERATING WITH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HOPING TO GET A LIGHTER SENTENCE. GEORGE PROBE FOUNDLY REGRETS GETTING INVOLVED IF THIS MATTER AND HE'S GOING TO DO EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO MAKE IT RIGHT. Reporter: IT'S UNLIKELY THAT EITHER MAROÑO OR FORTE WILL EVER GO TO TRIAL. IT'S MUCH MORE LIKELY THAT THEY WILL COOPERATE WITH THE F.B.I., ENTER GUILTY PLEAS AND HOPE NOR A LIGHTER SENTENCE. RIGHT NOW THEY FACE FIVE YEARS

SWEETWATER, Fla. -

A plea deal may be in the works for the former Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño and lobbyist Jorge Forte.

The two are scheduled to be arraigned in federal court on Friday morning. They've been charged directly by the U.S. attorney but not by grand jury indictment, indicating they're cooperating with the investigation.

Maroño and Forte were charged in August with taking thousands of dollars in kickbacks.

Quick Clicks

According to the complaints, lobbyist Richard Candia introduced Maroño to undercover FBI agents who posed as the owners of a Chicago-based grant administration business. The agents told Candia they could get federal grant money with the help of elected officials.

Maroño helped pass a resolution allowing the agents' company to apply for federal grant money on behalf of the city of Sweetwater, according to the complaint. Maroño and Forte then received $40,000 as payment. The two received another $20,000 by introducing the agents to other elected officials.

Maroño also lied to an undercover FBI agent posing as an auditor when asked about the company, according to the complaints.

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